Wednesday, January 2, 2013

12 Days of X-Mas: Morlocks #1-4 (2002)

Isn't it weird that Geoff Johns actually wrote for Marvel Comics? And even weirder, he did more than just his well-acclaimed run on Avengers. (Heck, Johns did a whole slew of solid Marvel mini-series around this time.)

Going off my memory, this was Johns' only foray into the mutant corner of the Marvel U. He actually stays away from any existing characters, and instead re-imagines the Morlock concept. Instead of Callisto's crew in NYC, this series follows a random band of mutant outlaws living under the streets of Chicago. The antagonist for the series is the perverted Dr. Mettelus and his army of Sentinels. It's pretty cool seeing the Sentinels as a big threat; we know the X-Men can knock out a dozen or so in an hour, for these new mutants, it is a lot tougher.

Johns introduces a quirky, interesting set of characters in this one. Not everyone gets a lot of panel time, but every character gets at least a few good lines of dialogue. Litterbug is the only character I feel like I've seen since this limited series, but many of the Morlocks seem like they would be good additions in the modern Marvel U. The Postman can make people forget specific things he declares to them. Electric Eve is your generic electricity caster (with added seizures). Angel Dust can amp up her speed and strength. I'm never quite clear on Shatter's exact power set, but he's got a good look. (A few moments of research shows that at least a few of these guys lost their powers in M-Day. Too bad, I would have liked these guys showing up again!)

Shawn Martinborough is an artist I didn't appreciate back in the day, but his style has really grown on me. His blocky figures are almost like Charlie Adlard's, but with a bit more texture to them. He excels in drawing tech, and his Sentinels look fantastic. I can see why Litterbug has been used after this series, he's clearly the breakout character with the best look. Just look at that cover!